User:Cmc.21000/sandbox

Introduction
Since early on in human civilization the ocean has been a vital part of the growth of the human species. Through travel, natural borders, new discoveries and arguably most importantly fishing; the oceans have shaped how cultures and societies have come to be. As vast as the great oceans may be, time and time again humans have proven there is no natural wonder great enough to avoid human greed and destruction. One of the greatest threats facing earths oceans is overfishing ( Overfishing- the harvesting of a fish species faster then natural reproduction levels ). This is a problem humans have created from neglegence and a problem we need to plan on correcting, instead of continuing down the wrong path and worsening the issue. One of the places overfishing and its reprecussions are being felt the most is in the European Union.

The Problem
In the last 50 years global seafood consumption has more then doubled, in the European Union alone about 13 million tons is consumed annually. The root of the problem isn't the supply of fish in the ocean but the poor management practices of the fisheries reaping its benefits. The people who are benefitting from the ocean the most are the same ones destroying many of its ecosytems. While great improvements have been made in recent years by the implementation of the common fisheries policy (CFP- policy regulating the type of fish, amount of fish, and seasons for different fish) there is still much to be done by the European Union to reach long tern sustainable levels. One of the most outstanding problems facing the CFP is the under regulation or the blatant disregard for the policy all together. In 2020 fisheries within the jurisdiction of the European Union exceeded the scientific levels listed by the the CFP by over 35%. This Not only raises the prices of fish and hurts the fish stocks that are overfished. This malpractice disrupts every level of the marine ecosystem and risks ecosystem collapse. If The European Union wants to sustainably fish and have a robust fishing industry for years to come this trend needs to change.

Solutions?
To solve the problem of overfishing in the European Union action must be taken by officials to strengthen regulation and make sure the solutions provided by scientists are being adhered to. The best way to put pressure on officials to take action and stop turning a blind eye to malpractice by the fishing industry is for individuals to make their voice heard. By reaching out to officials within the EU and demanding that enough is enough the tides can be turned on our oceans and the livelihoods of so many people, traditions, and cultures can be preserved. The sooner change is made the faster fish stocks will return to sustainable levels and humanity will be one step closer to preserving our oceans ecosystems.